Champaign County
Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning
In short
Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning issues 4 permits we publish for Champaign County, last verified 2026-10-23. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Use Permit — Non-Residential Construction (Unincorporated)only if it applies to you | Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning | Principal buildings other than dwellings $275 plus $15 per 100 sq ft; principal structures other than buildings (except towers and signs) $260 each; accessory buildings over 150 sq ft $16 per 100 sq ft; other non-residential accessory structures (except towers and signs) $130; alter, extend or move buildings $16 per 100 sq ft; maximum $1,500 per structure (engineering review fees excluded); plus Zoning Compliance Certificate $33; stormwater drainage plan review, when required, at the county's engineering cost up to $1,500 with a $500 initial payment | per permit | 2026-10-23 |
| Zoning Use Permit — Establish or Change a Use, No Construction (Unincorporated)only if it applies to you | Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning | $65 per permit to establish a use or change an existing use where no construction is involved | per permit | 2026-10-23 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated)only if it applies to you | Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning | Wall, canopy-mounted or projecting sign $33; freestanding sign $3 per sq ft of sign area, not less than $33; plus Zoning Compliance Certificate $33 | per sign | 2026-10-23 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (Unincorporated, Special Flood Hazard Areas)only if it applies to you | Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning | $100 per floodplain development permit, in addition to any other fee required | per permit; the application form states the permit expires if no work is commenced within six months of issuance | 2026-10-23 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Zoning Use Permit — Non-Residential Construction (Unincorporated)
Zoning Ordinance §9.1.2A requires a Zoning Use Permit from the Zoning Administrator before establishing, occupying or changing the use of a structure or land, constructing a new structure, or extending or moving one in unincorporated Champaign County. For a business building the fee is $275 plus $15 per 100 square feet of gross floor area; a principal structure other than a building is $260; an accessory building over 150 square feet is $16 per 100 square feet and other non-residential accessory structures $130; and altering, extending or moving a building is $16 per 100 square feet. No permit fee for a single structure exceeds $1,500, excluding engineering review. Each permit also carries a $33 Zoning Compliance Certificate fee, paid with the application (§9.3.2), and where a stormwater drainage plan is required the basic engineering review is billed at the county's cost up to $1,500, with $500 paid on application (§9.3.4). Figures are per Champaign County Zoning Ordinance §9.3 (as amended through April 23, 2026; fee pages dated October 23, 2025), and the Department of Planning and Zoning's Fees and Charges listing (07/23) prints the same amounts. Fees are paid to the County of Champaign through the Zoning Administrator.
Zoning Use Permit — Establish or Change a Use, No Construction (Unincorporated)
A business moving into an existing building or space in unincorporated Champaign County, or changing what an existing property is used for without building anything, needs a Zoning Use Permit under Zoning Ordinance §9.1.2A.1. Section 9.3.1G.1 sets the fee to establish a use or change an existing use where no construction is involved at $65, and §9.3.2A.3 states that no Zoning Compliance Certificate fee is required for registering a change of use where no construction is involved. Under §9.3.1G.2 there is no separate fee to establish or change a use when a permit is issued for new construction that includes it. Figures are per Champaign County Zoning Ordinance §9.3 (as amended through April 23, 2026; fee pages dated October 23, 2025), and the Department of Planning and Zoning's Fees and Charges listing (07/23) prints the same amounts.
Sign Permit (Unincorporated)
Signs in unincorporated Champaign County are permitted through a Zoning Use Permit. Zoning Ordinance §9.3.1E sets the fee for a wall, canopy-mounted or projecting sign at $33, and for a freestanding sign at $3 per square foot of sign area but not less than $33. The $33 Zoning Compliance Certificate fee also applies: §9.3.2A exempts only home occupations, nonconforming-use registration and changes of use without construction, and the department's Fee Listing states "ALL PERMITS* REQUIRE CERTIFICATES OF COMPLIANCE (ADDITIONAL FEE OF $33.00)". Figures are per Champaign County Zoning Ordinance §9.3 (as amended through April 23, 2026; fee pages dated October 23, 2025), and the Department of Planning and Zoning's Fees and Charges listing (07/23) prints the same amounts.
Floodplain Development Permit (Unincorporated, Special Flood Hazard Areas)
Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area of unincorporated Champaign County needs a Floodplain Development Permit from the Department of Planning and Zoning. The department's Floodplain Development Permit Application states that the permit is required under Ordinance #294 of the County of Champaign for development as defined in that ordinance, that the building or site may not be used or occupied unless a use permit has been issued by the Zoning Administrator, that the permit must be posted in plain view from a public road, and that it expires if no work is commenced within six months of issuance. The fee is $100 "in addition to any other fee required", as published on the Planning & Zoning Fee Listing (07/23), which the department links from its Ordinances, Policies, Regulations and Applications page. A project outside a Special Flood Hazard Area has no floodplain permit.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Champaign County
- Phone
- (217) 384-3708
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Champaign County Zoning Ordinance (as amended through April 23, 2026)Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Floodplain Development Permit ApplicationChampaign County Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Ordinances, Policies, Regulations and ApplicationsChampaign County Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Planning & Zoning Fees and Charges (07/23)Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
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The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Illinois jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.